Recollections of Calcutta for over Half a CenturyMassey, Montague
History
Recollections of Calcutta for over Half a Century
Massey, Montague
Calcutta (India) -- Description and travel; Massey, Montague -- Travel -- India -- Calcutta
From this point onwards to Camac Street, embracing Pretoria Street and
all the houses round about comprised within the vast block extending
from Theatre Road to Circular Road, the ground was formerly bustee
land with the usual insanitary tank in the centre. It can therefore
easily be perceived how greatly this section of the city has been
transformed and improved. On the opposite side of the road the houses
from No. 44 to Smith, Stanistreet & Co., and extending round the
corner into Camac Street including No. 4/1, are also built on
reclaimed bustee land. Nos. 45, 46, and 47 on the same side, higher
up, are built on what was, at one time, part of the compound of 5,
Harington Street, owned and occupied by Mr. George McNan, the boundary
wall of which formerly extended to Theatre Road. Further down on the
south side we come to No. 15, in the occupation of the Rajah of
Hutwa, at one time in the dim past the Young Ladies' Institute of
Calcutta, and at a much later period one of Mrs. Monk's numerous
boarding houses, presided over for some time by old Daddy Cartwright
as a sort of chummery.
Further on we come to Rawdon Street; the houses to the north facing
the burial ground as far as Park Street, including those in Short and
Robinson Street at the east end adjoining, are also built on waste and
reclaimed bustee land as well as those of red brick Nos. 29, 30, 31,
and 32 in Theatre Road on the left-hand side after passing Rawdon
Street. On returning to Little Russell Street we find many and various
additions. In the old days there were only three houses numbered 1, 2,
3. No. 1 was demolished in the far-off time, and the present Nos. 5
and 6 were built on its site. No. 4 was then No. 2, No. 8 is built as
already stated on the grounds of old 2, Harington Street, and No. 1
and No. 2 in the compound of the old No. 3, which latter house has
been greatly enlarged and improved, and was once known as the
Officers' Hospital.
At the south-east corner of Theatre Road and Loudon Street there used
to be a tank, which was filled up many years ago and converted into
quite a pretty garden which has been named Macpherson Square.
[Illustration: _Photo. by Johnston & Hoffmann_ Bishop's Palace,
Chowringhee]
CIRCULAR ROAD.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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